Chris Nichols stands at the fence assessing this year’s pregnant ewes. The Three Sisters are in front of him; Black Butte and Mount Jefferson are to his rear. Lambing season has begun in the high desert, and Nichols is eager to see a healthy group of lambs join the flock. He and his family are first-generation ranchers in Central Oregon. While there is a long history of ranching and shepherding in the region, starting fresh is a daunting task.

Finding Ranch Land in Central Oregon

Deschutes County’s population growth rate is one of the highest in the state, according to the Portland State University Population Research Center. Census data show farmland availability is on the low end, with less than 10% of the county’s land actively farmed.

A growing population and a limited housing market are putting the remaining agricultural land at risk for development, making it a challenge to find a place to start a new ranch. In 2026, reduced snowpack and its impact on irrigation water put additional stress on new water rights holders as well. To understand water rights, the Deschutes River Conservancy explains that a system is in place in which priority is given based on seniority.

In this high-pressure climate, new ranchers bring creativity to their businesses to help maintain and expand the local food system and ranching culture. For Nichols, his family’s connections to Central Oregon planted the idea of starting a ranch. Eventually, he and his wife were able to purchase 40 acres that became Cascade Mountain Pastures(opens in new tab) in Sisters. “Being able to get a USDA farm loan was huge,” said Nichols. “They really try to help you out.”

Courtney Schuur and Ethan O’Brien of North 44 Farm(opens in new tab), located outside Bend, have also been creative in accessing land. When they started in 2016, they didn’t have the capital to purchase hundreds of acres of ranchland. Instead, they lease plots around the county. “That is a first-generation story. On the West Coast, land is not something that makes sense to try and take on financially,” said Schuur. “We lease pockets of land that we rotationally graze.” Rotational grazing is a vital part of their regenerative ranching practices and of producing the meat they want.

Raising Meat for Central Oregon’s Local Food System

“The right breed, the right grass, the right movement for that animal to translate into a good product. We’re product driven,” said Schuur. “I don’t imagine that’s how most ranchers approach it.” Her background as a chef was central to North 44 from the beginning.

For Nichols and his family, it’s the power of food to bring a table of people together that keeps them going. “There are some things that are just universal about good food. It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what it is,” said Nichols. The connection between him, his lambs, and his end consumer is the most important part of his ranch. “We don’t ship our meat. You’ve got to try to find a farm closer to you.”

North 44 has a retail shop, North 44 Kitchen(opens in new tab) in Bend, to connect its products with seasonal ingredients and local consumers. It sells bone broths and marinated meat, like Korean short ribs or lamb kabobs.

Balancing the Demands of Ranching

Balance is hard to find for first-generation ranchers. With 600 sheep and 80 head of cattle, along with a retail shop and attendance at farmers’ markets, Schuur and O’Brien stay busy. “The thing with farming and ranching is the second you think you know what’s going to happen, it’s going to change,” said Schuur. “Things are going well, and you think you’re going to take a break, then an animal gets sick or dies, and it just sucks the life out of you. It feels like it never ends,” echoed Nichols.

Nichols and his family have adjusted their operation over the years to keep up with their lives. Last year, he and his wife, Victoria, cared for 140 lambs while also having jobs in attendant care and at an architecture firm. At the end of the season, they reduced the number of ewes that they raised for by half, Nichols said. “The reason we got rid of so many ewes is because we were trying to find [work-life] balance, even before winter was here,” he said.

The mild winter and subsequent lack of snowpack were expected to reduce the amount of green forage for their animals. “It was a blessing in disguise [to reduce the herd].”

Learning From Failure on the Ranch

Nichols, weary from the rigors of ranching, is well aware of how the challenges can negatively affect himself and his animals. For him, therapy is as useful a tool as any implement on the ranch. “It’s hard to understand that each failure is not a failure,” said Nichols. “I’m not ashamed that I go to therapy. You never understand what a farmer is going through unless they really open up and talk, and most farmers don’t.”

Despite the challenges of operating a first-generation ranch, both Cascade Mountain Pastures and North 44 have achieved the feat of raising animals in the high desert for a decade.

“We made a lot of mistakes in the process, which ultimately were great because that’s how you learn,” said Schuur. “If I had to tell a new rancher something, I’d say to start small, start where you need to, and just be ready for a wild ride.”

What to Know About First-Generation Ranching in Central Oregon

What makes it difficult to start a ranch in Central Oregon?
Land access is one of the biggest challenges. Less than 10% of Deschutes County’s land is actively farmed, while population growth and housing demand put additional development pressure on agricultural land. New ranchers also face challenges related to financing and water availability.

How do first-generation ranchers find land in Central Oregon?
There isn’t one approach. Chris and Victoria Nichols purchased 40 acres in Sisters for Cascade Mountain Pastures with help from a USDA farm loan. Courtney Schuur and Ethan O’Brien of North 44 Farm lease multiple plots around Deschutes County rather than purchasing hundreds of acres of ranchland.

What is rotational grazing?
North 44 Farm rotationally grazes its animals by moving them among leased pockets of land. For Schuur and O’Brien, the practice is an important part of their regenerative approach to ranching and producing the meat they want.

Where can you buy meat from these Central Oregon ranchers?
Cascade Mountain Pastures sells locally and does not ship its meat. North 44 Farm connects with local consumers through North 44 Kitchen in Bend, where it sells products including bone broths and marinated meats such as Korean short ribs and lamb kabobs.

How is water availability affecting Central Oregon ranchers?
Reduced snowpack in 2026 was expected to affect irrigation water and the amount of green forage available for animals. Water rights in the Deschutes Basin operate under a priority system based on seniority, putting additional pressure on newer water-right holders during periods of limited supply.

What advice do these ranchers have for people getting started?
Schuur recommends starting small and learning through experience. After a decade of raising animals in the high desert, she said mistakes have been an important part of that process: “We made a lot of mistakes in the process, which ultimately were great because that’s how you learn.”